Secrets
by livelygraveyard
Summary: Izuru Kira is finally promoted to Captain, and is joined by a new Lieutenant the Captain-Commander hand-picked himself. What is so special about this girl, and why is she so familiar? Secrets, romances, and rivalries will surface as Kira gets to know her.
1. Yukirum Akamaru

Toushirou Hitsugaya wandered around with his usual annoyed scowl, despising having to take his childish lieutenant shopping. She would stop _everywhere_.

"Captain! Oh Captain I want that one too!" She mused, pointing to a tiny green necklace, poorly sewn together and heavily overpriced.

"Matsumoto, it's not worth half as much as they're selling it for. Why are we shopping in Rukongai? They're just cheating you out of your money. Let's go back." The irritated Captain was now too annoyed to continue, turning on his heel and strolling directly out of the market, followed by his whining Vice-Captain.

"But Captain! They don't have anything good in the real wor—"

"Rangiku!" He snapped, "Enough already. Please."

The woman behind him stared worriedly at the short man before her, furrowing her eyebrows. Why had her Captain been to impatient today? All day he had constantly been shouting at her or telling her no. There was only one way to find out…

"Captain? What's eating you?"

The man stiffened slightly, glaring back at her, "You're telling me you don't feel that?"

"Feel what Captain?" She tilted her head and pursed her lips, feeling pretty stupid.

"That reiastu," he glanced up at the now setting sun, just barely brushing against the peak of the horizion, "it's just like Ichimaru Gin's."

Suddenly, Rangiku felt it too. Or maybe she had been feeling it all day, but hadn't realized it. She froze, eyes widening slightly. "C-Captain… We have to report it. If I didn't realize it until now, maybe other people didn't! He could be here.."

"Hush, Rangiku."

Matsumoto Rangiku furrowed her eyebrows and muttered, "But Captain—"

He lifted a hand, signaling her to be silent. A small black butterfly flitted by, stopping to land on Toushirou's shoulder. He listened in utter silence, ignoring his confused Lieutenant entirely.

"I have to go to a meeting. Return to the quarters and tell everyone to be on their guard, okay?" He turned around and offered a stern frown to his Vice-Captain before flash stepping away.

He was the third Captain there; right behind Ukitake and Kyoraku. The nodded to him as he arrived, followed instantly by Soifon. Soon, all the captains were filed into the small room, greeted by the Captain-Commander.

Histugaya furrowed his eyebrows as he watched Izuru Kira walk into the room, escorted by the Captain-Commander himself. Kira nodded a hello to Toushirou, and even offered a little smile.

Before Toushirou had the chance to ask the lieutenant what he was doing at a Captain's meeting, the door closed behind them and the Captain-Commander spoke.

"Attention, please," He slammed the end of his cane against the ground, "I have somewhere to be, so we are going to make this hasty." He motioned a hand to Izuru Kira, "Izuru Kira has now been promoted to Captain of the Third Division, and he has also gained a new Lieutenant. Toushirou Hitsugaya will accompany him to pick her up from the Rukongai district, and is expected to be back before the sun sets. Her name is Yukirum Akamaru, and she resides at the home on the furthest end to the east of the district."

Everyone stayed silent as the Captain-Commander waited for any comment.

"Meeting dismissed."

All but two Captains flocked out of the room, leaving just Kira and Toushirou.

"Why did he ask you to accompany me?" Kira muttered, assuming Hitsugaya knew.

"Who knows, but he is the Captain-Commander and we mustn't question him." Hitsugaya muttered, motioning for the door. "Let's hurry."

"Of course." Kira nodded, motioning for Hitsugaya to go before him. Toushirou instantly flash stepped away, followed soon after by Kira, both of them winding up in front of a small, grey house. They were there.

Inside, Yukirum Akamaru prepared herself. She fastened her lieutenant badge tightly on her arm, fixing her hair in the mirror before sensing the reiastus of two Captains. That was fast.

She hurried to the door, opening it and greeting the two men, "Afternoon, Captains!"

The two immediately froze. It couldn't be.

Her eyes were shut tightly, and her mouth was curled up into a cat-like smile. Her white hair had a purple hue to it, and her bangs hung carelessly over her eyebrows, just like his had. She had the same teasing, lingering voice that seemed so bright it was menacing. Her lips hardly moved when she spoke, and her face was exactly like his. She was a replica of Ichimaru Gin. The only difference was her height and the length of her hair; her hair reached her lower back, and she was about a foot shorter than Gin.

"Y-You…" Hitsugaya snarled, drawing his sword on the frail girl before him.

Her smile only faded slightly, and that just made him even more furious. He leaped at her immediately, drawing his sword and aiming for her chest.

He scowled as she blocked him with her own zanpaktou, only being wielded with her right hand. She held there with that same smile, tilting her head, "Permission to ask why you attacked me, Captain."

"Permission denied." Toushirou spat, sheathing his sword once more and muttering to Kira, "She's all yours," before flash stepping away.

Kira was utterly dumbfounded. How could one person look so much like his former Captain; the man that had betrayed him? He took a sharp breath and stepped forward, "Lieutenant Akamaru, welcome to the third squad."

"Aw, Cap'n," She hopped down the steps and threw herself at Kira, pulling him into a tight embrace, "Call me Rum, please. I don't like all the formal stuff."

"O-Okay," Kira stammered, offering a brief smile. He lifted his hand to pat her back, freezing once more as he came to a sudden, dark realization.

Rum and Gin. How ironic.


	2. Start Over

Kira felt uneasy. As he walked his new Lieutenant to her quarters, that aching feeling that he was being watched by _Gin's _eyes would not lift. He constantly had to look back to make sure Rum hadn't shed most of her hair and grown a few inches. The Captain heaved an overwhelmed sigh, and glanced around his shoulder, silently deciding to himself he was being ridiculous and this was the last time, only to find the shady Lieutenant had disappeared. He stiffened and looked around frantically, growling lowly. Panicked and worried, he turned around quickly to run, prepared to get all the Captains aware of a traitor in the Seretei when he rammed into something small.

Yukirum fell back harshly into the concrete of the alley, landing on her backside. She let out a quiet _oof_ sound and her smile only faded to a very faint frown as she rubbed the back of her head, "Damn Cap'n, I could tell you were a little uneasy about me being so close but ya didn't have to push me down…" She whined and rubbed her behind, letting out a playful whimper. "Now my ass is gonna hurt for like a week." That sketchy smile immediately returned to her lips as she smiled back up at her Captain.

"Where were you just a moment ago?" Izuru narrowed his eyes at the small girl, gripping on to the hilt of his sword just in case.

"What do you mean?" She lifted a hand to stifle a giggle, "I was walking right behind you the whole—Oh, wait, you mean just a second ago? The one guy," She turned around to point to a man from the sixth division behind her, "he wanted to welcome and congratulate me and all that jazz. Asked me if I wanted to go drinkin' with him and his buddies later but I told him I had to be somewhere."

Kira opened his mouth to protest, assuming this was one of Gin's tricks before realizing that this girl before him was not Ichimaru Gin. He offered a long, drawn out sigh before hanging his head, "I apologize, Lieutenant Yu—Lieutnant Rum, I mean. It's just that you look so much like… Ichimaru Gin. I'm sure you've been told. I know you're not him, I mean, how could you be? And all this time, since the moment I laid eyes on you I've been suspecting you like a criminal. What kind of way is that for a Captain to bond with his Vice-Captain? I apologize."

Rum only tilted her head at this apology, swatting her hand dismissively, "Shoot, Cap'n. You don't have to apologize like that… Everyone feels that way about me at first. I'm just glad you didn't try to kill me like that other Captain from earlier. What do you say we just start over? And we can be like any other Captain and his Lieutenant!"

Kira had just then discovered the difference between Rum and Gin he had been searching for since he met her. Ichimaru Gin had this unpleasant aura that radiated from him, making even the strongest souls squirm in his presence. But Yukirum radiated a different wave of emotion; hers was a bright, upbeat feeling that simply made someone feel happy. She created a certain euphoria in Izuru Kira that made his lips twitch into a joyful smile, although not nearly as broad of one as hers.

"I'm really glad you don't think ill of me, Rum," He smiled faintly, offering her his hand, "that's how it should be between a Captain and Lieutenant, right?"

Rum's smile grew wider as she reached up and grabbed her Captain's hand, pulling herself up and standing in front of him, replying with a brief nod, "That's exactly how it should be, Taicho."

"Now, one more thing…" Kira began, releasing her hand and letting his own drop back to his side lifelessly as he furrowed his eyebrows curiously, "Why couldn't you go out drinking with that man from the sixth squad? As far as I'm concerned I haven't given you any assignments, and paperwork on the first night would just be aburd…"

"Oh, 'bout that," Rum rubbed the back of her head, "Y'See, I think it's only suitable for a Vice-Captain to stay by their squad's side the first night they're there, because they should prove that they're there to protect their squad at all costs. I don't wanna be out getting' drunk like a bum."

Kira smiled admiringly over at the Lieutenant, "That's very responsible of you, Rum…"

"'Ey, don't go all soft on me, it wasn't even entirely all my idea," She giggled nervously, "It was my brother's. He told me back when we were young."

"Ah, well he sounds like an honorable man," Kira smiled at her sincerely, "Now why don't we show you to your quarters? They're very nice… You should find them very much to your liking."

"Thanks Cap'n," Rum smiled over at him brightly, following as Kira began to walk through the streets once more, examining his every step with curiosity. She muttered a few things quietly, making sure Kira couldn't hear them.

Rum continued to smile brightly up at her captain, as if nothing was wrong. She had always been told to "keep smiling," and had stuck to the saying since she was a little girl. Although her features pointed in the opposite direction, Yukirum Akamaru was far from joyful; she didn't want to go back to the third division, and sleep in the Vice-Captain's quarters that was so easily dubbed hers. She didn't want to follow Izuru Kira around all day and fight for his division, knowing more about the pain he'd been through than he himself could probably even imagine. She didn't want to step foot in the grounds Ichimaru Gin had once strolled through, holding his despicable head high. She didn't want to be the girl who wore the same face as that traitor, either. It wasn't fair, how she was treated; one captain had already attempted to kill her after just catching a glimpse of her face.

_I bet over half of the thirteen Captains will despise me, because of who I resemble…_ She shamed herself soon after for making such a judgmental assumption, although couldn't push the thought from her mind.

"'Ey Cap'n," Rum blinked a couple times before shifting her face to meet the eyes of her Captain.

"Yeah?" Kira tilted his head slightly, his lips curling to a worried frown at the uneasy tone in his Vice-Captain's voice.

"D'you think that Captain Hitsugaya will ever warm up to me? Even a little? He seemed pretty hell bent on killing me earlier. It's kind of an unnerving feeling when you know a Captain wants you dead…" That smile of hers finally faded into a light frown.

"R-Rum…" Kira studdered, shaking his head slightly, "He doesn't want you dead, and that's kind of a cruel thing to assume… He was just shocked."

Rum scowled, cursing herself silently for thinking he would understand, "He _drew his sword on me_, Captain. He wasn't attempting to defend himself because I wasn't doing anything. He aimed right for my chest, and I would have died or been seriously injured with that hit. He wanted to hurt me badly, and someone would only aim such a merciless blow to their enemy… I went to the academy, Captain, and I grew up around strong Shinigami. Don't think I don't know what I'm talking about," she shot back at him fervently, obviously irritated.

The Captain was surprised at his Lieutenant's sudden hostile attitude. Had she really taken that situation so personally? Although, as much as Kira felt stupid admitting it, she did have a point; the type of attack Histugaya performed on Rum wasn't simple, and it wasn't soft. It was most likely meant to kill her. "Y-You'll just have to speak to Captain Histugaya about that, Rum… I'm not sure what to tell you," Izuru sighed and ran a hand through his blonde hair, shaking his head slightly, "I'm sure he has reasons behind what he did, though. As I said before, your appearance must be slightly uncomfortable for him."

"My appearance is uncomfortable for everyone," She barked back at him, forcing herself to walk ahead of her Captain, hiding the pained look on her normally soft, bright face.

Kira frowned apologetically and followed after her hurriedly, "Lieutenant, I didn't mean for that to be an insult…"

Immediately, Rum glanced over her shoulder at the timid man, that wide grin now spread back across her face, and her eyes clenched shut once more. His mouth dropped open only slightly, dumbfounded by how quickly her mood had swung. Rum had just been furious and bitter beyond belief… How could she regain her happiness that quickly?

"I apologize for that, Cap'n," She mused, her voice coming out like velvet, hanging on the air around her lips before evaporating into the sentence, "I was just a little stressed is all. New squad, new Captain, new duties, and now I got a smart man like Toushirou Histugaya comin' at me with his sword. It's just kinda overwhelming, y'know?"

Kira offered a relieved half-grin, nodding in approval, "I understand… It must be hard…" Suddenly, the exhausted Captain managed to remember a question he's been meaning to ask, "Oh, and Rum, you said you had a brother, right?"

Rum's eyebrows twitched slightly, almost scrunching together as she answered, "Affirmative. Why?"

"I was just wondering who he was… I'd like to know."

"You don't know him."

"May I at least have a name? You never know."

Rum sighed and shook her head, "Trust me, I know, but his name was," She sucked in a deep breath, "Kutoname Akamaru."

Izuru pondered for a moment before frowning slightly in defeat, "You're right… Never heard of him. That's unfortunate… So I'm guessing you're the only one in your family to have become part of the thirteen protection squads?"

"Yeah, Katoname was close but he died before he finished the academy…" One side of her lips curled down, whilst the other stayed up, forming a pained smile.

"Y-You mean Kutoname, right?" Her Captain quirked a brow; she had just said her brother's name wrong when mentioning his own death. Something about that seemed off to Izuru Kira.

"O-Oh, yeah…" Rum shook her head and looked away, her cotton hair bouncing with each sway of her head, "I can't remember much of Brother. He died such a long time back, it's hard to even remember his name, you know? He and I were close when I was a little kid, and I mean real close. We shared everything with each other, and never got in fights. Then he went off to the academy, and we never spoke again. Few days before he was supposed to graduate, somethin' happened and he died. I still haven't figured out what it was, since the people who told us wouldn't tell my parents." She peeked her eye open at Kira, spotting his sympathetic frown, instantly shutting it again, "I feel ashamed for not being able to remember his name, but it's been so long."

Kira lifted a hand to gently rest it on her shoulder, "That must have been a hard loss for you, Yukirum…"

Rum's smile returned in a flash, her slumped posture straightening out under Kira's hand as she rested her own on his, "Aw, it's nothing really. I'm over it, so there's nothing to worry about, right? Just smile."

The weary Captain felt a light smile tugging on his muscles as he nodded, "Now, about your quarters…"

"Yeah?"

"I used to hide my paperwork in there, so if you find any, you'll know why…"


	3. The Visitor

D: I know this chapter is kinda short, along with my previous two. They'll start to get longer, I promise…!!

But guys, if you're gonna read, review please n__n I'd love to hear your feedback.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The cool air sifted through Rum's hair gently, twisting the almost-violet strands with the breeze carelessly. She tilted her head around the corner of another squad member's quarters, sighing and reminding herself this was the fourth time she had passed this house. Her eyes had finally been allowed to open, darting around at her surroundings. They were like tiny pools of blood, resting around her pupils; just like his were. She muttered a few bitter curse words under her breath, craning her neck to look over at a tiny, lifeless building not too far away.

Her quarters were right next to Izuru Kira's; Rum couldn't stand it. She left all the lights on before swiftly sneaking out, then simply wandering the Third Divison, and even straying to the Fourth or Second Divison on occasion. Two hours and all she had managed to get done was memorize where to turn when she came to the end of the small porch around whoever the hell's quarters these were. The warmth of her bed seemed tempting at the moment, although she knew that wouldn't be the only thing "welcoming" her. Everywhere she went, he found a way in, too. Despite her doubts, Rum figured this time may be different. The Seretei was a difficult place to breach, even when you are sneaky as hell. With a hesitant sigh, Rum allowed her eyes to flutter back shut into their usual position, pushing off the ground to flash step to her quarters.

She landed on the porch of the house, stumbling slightly before freezing instantly in the fear that she caused a commotion. Rum sucked in a deep breath before taking a careful step forward, only to be stopped by a familiar voice.

"What on earth are you doing?"

Rum jumped instantly, falling backwards and landing on her bum for the second time that day. Embarrassed and guilty, Rum replied, "Y-Yes?" Unfortunately, her back was turned to the voice, keeping her from seeing the expression on the man's face; although she had a feeling he wasn't too happy.

"Kira told me you said you were going to stick around here for tonight. Why are you out?" Toushirou Hitsugaya quirked an irritated eyebrow as he stood at the bottom of the short stairs leading up to the porch.

Rum was already getting annoyed with his nosy attitude, and opened her mouth to growl a response, but decided it was probably best to get back on this particular Captain's good side, shutting her mouth once more to think of a more appropriate answer to his question. She could only think of one, "I was getting fresh air, Captain. I'm sure you know how much stressful it is to be tossed into a new Division, let alone one you're half-way in charge of."

"I'd hardly call it half-way," Hitsugaya muttered back, walking up the steps slowly to stand in front of her, "I saw you flash step here. Where were you, Yukirum?"

"I went to get fresh air. I went on a _walk_. They're these things where you—"

"I know what they are!" The Captain barked back, "And how dare you treat a Captain so disrespectfully."

That was it. "I know how to treat a Captain, sir. And I also know that a Captain has no right to treat a Vice-Captain, let alone the Vice-Captain of another division with such disrespect. I've said no more than a sentence to you since you attacked me and before that, yet you insist on figuring me out, or whatever it is you're attempting to accomplish. Well here's a newsflash for you, Cap'n," Rum courageously leaned her face closer to his, "I ain't the bad guy. I'm not who you think I am, and I mean that in the _good _way. I like you Cap'n, but you have no reason to suspect me besides my appearance. I know what you're thinking, and you're wrong. I got nothing to do with that disgusting traitor, and if I did I'd have let myself die before facing that kind of shame. So stop worrying, and let Izuru Kira, _my Captain_, handle what needs to be handled. Besides, how would he feel about you trying to control his new Vice-Captain? That's awful mean; makin' him look bad as a new Cap'n. I may not know much about this place but I have a feeling that if one Captain is orderin' 'round another's Lieutenant, there's bound to be some dishonor involved in that."

Toushirou was dumfounded; he was beyond words. Had he just been lectured by a lower rank? While his mouth was hanging ajar and his eyes were slightly wide, Rum lifted a hand to pat his head before turning to enter her quarters, "G'night, Captain. And just so ya know, I think I'll pretend we never met before tomorrow. I'm good at acting like I don't know people."

Just as the Captain managed to choke out a word, the door slammed, and he was left out in the cold, night air.

As Rum strode into her quarters she felt proud. Guilty, but proud. Her head was held high as she tossed her frail body onto the comfortable bed, snuggling into a pillow with that usual smile. Rum inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of the fabric; it smelled like sanctuary. For once, Rum could relax and gather her thoughts without having to deal with a stern, demanding, and _taunting_ voice speaking to her. As Rum felt the incredible weight that was once thrown on to her begin to lift, it was slammed back down on her heart, crushing it.

"I remember this place."

Her body went stiff, and her voice wouldn't come out. Rum carefully pushed herself up from the bed, coiling around to snap, "Get out of here!"

"Why? I'm just coming to visit…"

"No," the Lieutenant snarled, "How did you get in here in the first place? You couldn't have just sneaked past the guards, they're top notch…" Suddenly, her eyes widened with realization, "N-No… You didn't."

"Ah, but I did."

"You _killed _them?!" Rum jumped to her feet, gripping on to the visitor's shirt, raising a fist, "How _dare_ you? I came here to escape from your company, your games… and… and… You! Now get out, before I kill you myself!"

Delicate hands wrapped around Yukirum's wrists, prying them from the fabric in the gentlest way possible. The vistor's words came out like a hiss, "You couldn't kill me. Rum, I'm not the one playing games now, _you _are."

"Wha… Y-You're crazy," Rum spat with disgust, wriggling to get away from the visitor's grip, "How am I playing games? You're the one following me around, and… and paying visits to someone that hates your guts! You're being stupid and irrational… and you're going to get killed."

"Oh, hate me do you? And you expect me to believe that? I have been visiting you since the moment you claimed to hate me, and you have not yet drawn one drop of my blood. You couldn't kill me if it meant saving your life because you're just too pure. You claim to hate me, but the truth is, you still feel the same way about me when we were little."

Rum's voice couldn't hide her true emotions; now, her words were ridden with bitter tears, "I-I don't know what you're talking about. I don't even know who you are anymore. Now get out."

"I don't want to leave you yet, Rum."

"You already did," she whispered lowly, a small growl rumbling from the back of her throat. Her eyes were closed to hide the stinging tears that were filling her maroon eyes, so Rum didn't see the visitor leave; all she felt was the hands on her wrists slip off, and a smooth kiss on the forehead before the rustling of leaves out her window.

"Don't come back." She whispered out into the night, her voice ringing with cruelty and bitterness.

There was no answer. No sanctuary.


	4. Anxiety

Yukirum Akamaru's sleep that night had been the worst she had had in centuries. Once her visitor was long gone, she had let her walls cave in and spent three hours of the restless night weeping, wailing, and throwing things across the room. Tears rolled mercilessly down her flustered cheeks until she had screamed so much, her voice became hoarse. Once there were no more tears to shed, Yukirum found herself curled up on her tiny bed, hugging her knees to her chest and feeling nauseous. By the end of one hour, she had thrown up twice. Finally, with nearly every ounce of will power drained from the poor girl, Rum crawled to her bed and fainted, only to wake up two hours later to the sound of her Captain's voice.

"Lieutenant Rum? Rum? Are you alright…?" Kira questioned frantically, placing gentle pats to Rum's frail shoulder, causing her body to rock slightly with each motion.

Her eyes flickered open, only to instantly close before Izuru Kira could catch a glimpse. Rum shifted with a groan, positioning herself against the headboard. The miserable girl sported her best grin and lifted a hand to stifle a quiet yawn, nodding to her Captain, "M-Morning Cap'n."

"Rum, are you okay? You're pale and… And everything in here is broken. Were you attacked last night or something? What happened in here?" Kira nudged his Lieutenant once more, although a bit harder this time, only because this concept was serious. If someone had indeed broken into the Seretei, let alone attacked Yukirum in her own quarters, Kira _needed_ to know.

Rum shook her head slightly, resisting the urge to peek her eye open to greet the musty morning light as he sunk through the grimy window and into the train wreck of a room. She longed to be able to see her surroundings as she awoke, especially these new ones; adjusting was hard in this unusual place, and normally Rum would have been able to take a little while to look around and examine her setting, but this particular day she wasn't able to, due to all the people snooping around her things. Rum shook her head dismissively, allowing her messy hair to bob and curl around her delicate face as her head moved.

"Captain, you don't understand," She grinned brightly, combing her fingers through her hair, "Last night, I had some post-lieutenant anxiety. I freaked out and threw things, screamed, and got a little sick, y'know? I probably look pale now because I was so sick last night, but it's honestly nothing to worry about; just a little fear bubbling up at short notice. 'Sides, I feel fine now!" Rum even managed to gather enough strength to flail her arms about to emphasize her last words, hoping that Kira would simply let her bout slide.

"I-I think… You need to go see Captain Unohana, Rum. You look dangerously sick… You're pale and…" Without warning, Kira lifted his hand and rested his palm on Rum's forehead, "you have a fever, Rum. I'm worried about you. I think you need to go to the Fourth Division and see what Unohana-Taicho can do for you."

For some odd reason, Kira's touch made the rest of Rum's face heat up, although it wasn't a bad feeling. Rum opened her mouth to say something, then shut it before gathering her thoughts and finally speaking, "Captain, I'm perfectly fine. I don't think I need to go to the Fourth Division."

"Rum, that wasn't a question," Kira frowned, pulling her up off the bed, "It was a demand. You have training today, and I don't want you throwing up all over the grounds, let alone fighting while injured. Serious things could happen, Rum."

There was a long silence before Rum finally responded, "Training?"

"Yes, training. It's part of being a Lieutenant; you have to train with the squad to be part of the squad." Kira raised an eyebrow at the sickly looking girl standing in front of him. Why had she been worried about training, and not her illness?

"Captain… I can't train with you today." Rum choked out, her usual smile fading slightly, "I have something to tell you and I…"

Just then, there was shuffling at the door, and a familiar face slipped in and stood before the Captain and Lieutenant. Toushiro Hitsugaya strode across the room, and the sight of him made Rum roll her eyes, and even groan a little bit in disgust. Couldn't he just leave her alone?

"Morning, Captain Izuru," He offered a polite nod to Kira as he approached Rum, staring down at her harshly, "Akamaru."

Rum's smile grew broad once more, and she waved at the man before her brightly, "Heya, Cap'n. How ya doin'?"

"I'm alright, thank you," The Captain raised an un-amused eyebrow before turning to Kira, "I overheard your conversation, and I noticed that it's high time you were at the training grounds with your squad, Izuru. You wouldn't want to make a bad impression on them as a Captain by being late."

"You're right…" Kira nodded in agreement, "Rum, I'm serious. You need to go to the Fourth Squad. Now go on and get checked out, and come and meet me at the training grounds when she finishes checking you out." Izuru Kira immediately turned to Toushiro, "Would it be rude of me to ask you for a favor?"

"Of course not; it's only reasonable for two Captain's to be able to depend on eachother." Histugaya replied with a quirked brow, "Although it depends on the depth of the favor."

"Oh, it's a simple thing, although it may be a tad time consuming…"

Histugaya shrugged carelessly, "I have no plans for today."

"Could you make sure Rum gets in and out of the Fourth Divison?" Kira asked, a slight smile tugging at his lips.

"_What?!_" Rum shouted instantly, "Captain! Are you crazy? I'm your _Lieutenant_, and you're getting another Captain to escort me around like a child!" She growled fervently, "This is absurd."

Kira glanced back at Rum, that smile fading, "Rum, no offense, but I see a certain spirit in you. You seemed to disagree with me when I said you were feeling less than acceptable, and you obviously aren't in any position to be training right now. I'm just afraid that you'll skip out on the medicine or something. Don't take it personally… Please."

Rum had taken it personally, and had a horrible feeling that her 'spirit' wasn't the only reason that he was hiring a baby sitter for her. She shot him a subtle glare before directing her eyes back toward Toushiro, giving him a pleading stare.

"Of course I'll do you that favor, Izuru," Hitsugaya offered Kira a friendly grin, nodding his head toward the door, "Now I think it's best we all be off."

"Thank you, Hitsugaya-Taicho…" Kira sighed with relief before shuffling out the door swiftly.

"How ridiculous," Rum snorted with disapproval, sauntering out the door herself, followed momentarily by Toushiro.

"How so? Your Captain simply is unsure of you, Akamaru; it's perfectly rational. Would you completely trust someone you met yesterday?" Toushiro looked up at her with both eyebrows raised questioningly.

"I trust my Captain," Rum replied bluntly.

"You'll have to forgive Izuru, Akamaru," The Captain shook his head, letting out an exasperated sigh, "I'm sure with everything that happened, he's got a few trust issues here or there. He's been exposed to deception first-hand, and I know that even with all this time to heal, the wounds haven't closed yet. Give him time and be yourself and you'll have no problems."

There was a long moment of silence before Rum responded, "Why did you show up at my quarters today, Captain?"

Histugaya glanced down at his feet, focusing on his steps, "Because I saw Izuru's division waiting at the training grounds, and I thought he ought not to keep them waiting."

Rum nodded, glancing at the infirmary at the Fourth Division with a scowl, "Oh, that makes sense." She knew it wasn't the truth. She knew that Histugaya had more important things on his mind then the ever so short patience of the members of the Third Division. And she knew that _she_ was the reason he had shown up that morning.

"Here we are," Toushiro pointed out, motioning to the infirmary, "Unohana should be in there, now go get checked out and I'll wait out here, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Rum mumbled with irritation, stepping into the quiet building. It was almost completely silent, aside from the clinking of different medical tools. There were several beds lining the walls, and Fourth Division members attending each one with a patient. Yukirum sighed and decided it was best to simply get things over with, strolling up to the Division's Captain, who happened to be finishing up with a man from the Sixth Squad.

As she turned around, her soft gaze met Rum's irritated one, and surprisingly showed no surprise, "Yukirum Akamaru, I presume? I've heard so much about you… They say you're quite the happy girl." Unohana smiled sweetly, coaxing the usual grin back onto Rum's lips. "Although, you don't look too healthy, dear; sit down and I'll have a look."

Rum obediently plopped onto the nearest bed, swinging her legs absentmindedly. Unohana soon approached the bed, leaning forward to touch Rum's forehead just as Kira had done earlier; Rum didn't feel the rest of her face get hot this time. Within moments the Captain had gone and returned with a small syringe, filled with a clear, bubbly liquid. "You just have a fever," she explained, "Although it wasn't caused by illness. It was anxiety, I believe, and you should be just fine after I give you this shot."

Yukirum nodded to show understanding, although she honestly didn't care at all. She was honestly hoping that Unohana would have to her that she was deathly ill and would have to stay bed ridden for the rest of the year. Yukirum _did not _want to train.

Rum was given the shot and left immediately after, thanking Unohana politely before throwing herself out the front door, looking thoroughly pissed off. She stalked back up to Histugaya, muttering, "We can go now."

He smirked slightly, raising an eyebrow, "Why so dull?"

"I hate training," She hissed with annoyance, "I hate it so much it's not even funny."

"Why?"

"Because it never helps me," she snapped, dragging her feet along the ground as she sauntered toward the training ground, "It's just two people swinging their swords at each other. It's nothing like real battle because no one can ever die."

Hitsugaya simply stared up at the girl, tilting his head to the side. The things she said were actually fairly true; in training, there was never the motivation or threat of death. You knew your squad wasn't going to kill you, so there wasn't the spirit there should be in fighting. Just then, an idea struck him. "Hey Rum… How about you and I do private training today? I'd love to fight with you, and I'll be sure to make it different."

Rum froze right in her tracks. Maybe he hadn't understood that she hated _any kind of training_. But how could she say no to such a rare offer? "O-Of course Captain Hitsugaya… I'd love to."

Just as the two approached the training grounds, they were greeted by Kira, "Doing better Rum? I'd sure hope so..! We'd hate to have you out of training for today."

"Well, actually," Hitsugaya cut in, "Rum was telling me just on our way here about her training preferences, and, if you don't oppose, I would really like to train privately with her today; maybe at Kisuke Urahara's shop?"

"You want to train with my Lieutenant?" Kira tilted his head. Rum had a feeling he would be offended… "Of course! That would be absolutely splendid! Rum, I bet you're honored…!"

All Rum could do was nod slowly. Why couldn't he have just said no?


	5. Restricted Release

Ahhhh, guys, sorry it took me so long to put this up! I've been sick and swimming in homework, so the next chapter may not be for a while, but after this one, I may not be able to wait to write the next one…! Review please!

{Oh, and be warned, this chapter does get a bit violent, but mostly toward the end. It's not too graphic at all, but I just felt you might want a warning~}

Yukirum really hated the real world. It was crowded and noisy; it made it her head feel as if it were going to explode, or even melt her brain. Hitsugaya seemed to be a tad more patient with the noises and people in the real world, but not too much. Karakura town was small, and vastly over-populated, or at least Rum thought so. She had only been there for about ten minutes, walking down the streets toward the Kisuke Shop, and Rum had already wished she had just trained with her Division.

As the two approached the Shop, Rum smiled brightly as she usually did, and just waited until Toushirou told her she could do something. He strode up to the door of the shop and before he could knock, and rather rude sounded boy's voice came from the left.

"What do you want, shorty?"

Captain Histugaya stiffened and glared over at the child. Why, he looks like Lieutenant Abarai! Rum thought to herself, His red hair and mean looking face, and that… Stuck up attitude. They could be twins.

"You have no right to speak to a Captain that way, young man," Toushirou snapped irritably, glaring harshly at the boy who was leaning against a broom that was a couple inches taller than himself. His legs were crossed in a careless position and he had a seemingly permanent smirk on his small, bratty face.

He shifted on the broom, offering the Captain a disinterested stare, "You're not my Captain, squirt! I don't have to listen to anyone!"

Hitsugaya stared bitterly at the red-head, before Rum stepped in front of the two boys, "Heya Little Abarai! Since when have you been so tiny?" She leaned down to shove her frail hand into his hair and ruffle it up gently, "I never remembered you being this adorable!" She mused.

The boy's face immediately went red. He flinched away from her hand and narrowed his eyes at the Lieutenant, swatting her hand away. "Where the hell did you come from? Who are you?" He snapped fervently, clenching his fists.

"Why, I'm Yukirum Akamaru, the Third Divison's new Lieutenant! And I came from the Rukongai district… I thought you knew that Abarai-kun!"

"My name isn't Abarai."

"Sorry, Renji-fukataicho!" She smiled, reaching down to pat his head, "How cute you've gotten…"

"I'm not Renji!" He barked at her, clenching his small fingers around the wooden broom handle and taking a harsh swing at her head. Rum swiftly ducked her head and the broom missed, not even clipping the slightest white-purple hair on her small head. After the "attack," Rum stood up straight once more and tilted her head; that smile never fading from her face, "Why'd ya do that, Abarai-kun?"

Jinta let out aggravated groan and stormed into the Kisuke Shop, dragging that broom behind him along the concrete porch, making a krrrrrrsh sound. Once he was gone, Rum erupted into a sever bout of giggles and snickers, paying no mind to Toushirou's confused look.

"Rum, you do know that wasn't really Renji, right?"

"Bah!" She giggled, "Of course that's Abarai-kun! I would bet my life on it!" Her smile began to grow wider as she strode into the shop, "Now, getting off this Renji dilemma, I really would like to meet the infamous Kisuke Urahara. He sounds like such an intriguing man…"

"Yes, intriguing…." Toushirou trailed off. He honestly didn't like Kisuke Uarahara at all; the way he laughed and took everything as a simple game was enough to cause the Captain to slaughter him. He always slept and never did anything productive, unless it was something useless.

Rum let out a high-pitched giggle, covering her mouth with one hand, "You liar. You hate him, don't you?" She knew by the look on his face, the tone of his voice, and especially his eyes that he really didn't care for Uarahara; Rum was always good at reading people's faces. It had been something her brother taught her.

"H-How did you…?" He wrinkled his nose and furrowed his eyebrows, staring at the tall girl, "Well, no, I suppose I'm really not that fond of him… I don't think he's nearly as serious as he needs to be. Not to mention he's quite the slacker."

"Still speaking ill of me, after everything I've done?" came a bright voice from behind the two.

They spun around to find Kisuke, holding two grocery bags under each of his arms, smiling at them broadly underneath a green and white hat; the hat reminded Rum of a noodle stand. For some reason, though, Rum found him oddly attractive. Maybe it was the stubble on his chin; it made him look rugged. Although the hat did shade most of his face, and the black around his eyes brought out the lovely green color in them, which was rather pretty.

"Kisuke," Histugaya mumbled, "This is the Third Divisions Lieutenant, Yukirum Akamaru. I was hoping that you would allow us to train in that fancy basement of yours? I found it more suitable for her idea of training."

"Why, of course Toushirou! How long have you been here, dare I ask?"

"Nearly ten minutes, Kisuke."

"Oh ho ho!"

_His laugh is truly unique, _Rum thought.

"I'm sure Jinta gave you two some trouble, no? I believe I put Ururu in charge, although she's much to kind to him to stay in charge. I'm sure he walked all over her by the time my right foot was out the door! Where is that girl anyway? I'd assume doing Jinta's chores…" And with that, Kisuke Urahara trailed off, shuffling into the shop and past them, turning to the kitchen.

Rum and Histugaya stood there for a few moments before snapping back into reality and following after Urahara; his small 'speech' had left them with several questions, especially Rum.

"Hurry now, come inside!" called a voice from inside the door to the Kisuke Shop, which was a bit unusual seeing as nothing and nobody could be seen inside; just shelves of merchandise. Rum shrugged a shoulder carelessly, seeing as she was never one for worrying much, and strode through the door, pressing her pale hand to the glass and smiling contently at the quiet _ding _that was easily heard once the door was ajar. Once inside, Rum looked around curiously. It was nothing special, really; just shelves and stands of boring candy and whatnot, with no decorative paint or anything. _I wouldn't shop here…_Rum giggled to herself, turning to face Hitsugaya as he shuffled through the door.

"Hurry to the basement… Please. I don't feel like dealing with Kisuke, or his tea today," begged Toushirou as he gently shoved Rum toward a small hatch on the floor between the kitchen and the hallway leading to, what Rum assumed, were the many rooms Kisuke supposedly had in here for any unexpected visitors. The white haired Captain lifted the hatch, which matched so perfectly with the floorboards that Rum had actually failed to notice that it was even a door until they were close enough to touch it, then hopped down and into the basement. Rum followed soon after, not bothering to wonder how far down it was because Hitsugaya had jumped first. Not to mention he was shorter than her, so the fall would have been longer for him anyway.

"Okay, Rum, let's get right to it then," Histugaya suggested, reaching to unsheathe his sword with a serious expression, "You said you didn't want to train because there was no motivation; no danger. Well, you and I will fight with real swords, and we'll both shed real blood, and I won't hesitate to kill you if I'm winning. The moment you increase your strength, I'll increase mine. Do not hold back, and do not purposely avoid hurting me, understand?"

Do not hold back… Rum was fine with all of it, even the part where she would die, but that part… Do not hold back… She couldn't live with that. Not ever.

"Captain Histugaya I—"

Rum let out a strangled cry as she felt the end of Toushirou's blade sink deep into her shoulder, causing a stirring pain inside her arm. Out of instinct, Rum hopped backward, gripping onto her shoulder tightly with her left hand, gritting her teeth as she felt the blood surface from the wound and pool around her shoulder before finally trickling down her back and chest. "G-God damn it, Histugaya! What the hell was that for!?" She screeched with fury, baring her teeth absentmindedly at the Captain wielding the blade dripping with her very own blood.

"I said we would get right to it. My rules were not questions, Akamaru, they were _demands_. Your training started the moment you touched the ground here. Now, fight, or I will kill you." He said blankly, weidling his blade with both hands now and running toward her.

She panicked. A man of Captain class was running at her with his sword fully prepared to take her life, and Rum hadn't prepared, nor could she plan a counterattack, for this was too soon.

_I know, _Rum told herself, _I'll just allow him to hit me a few times and then when I detect a pattern, I can start defending and counter attacking…_

The young Shinigami readied herself, shifting to battle stance and drawing her sword quickly, anticipating Histugaya as he came toward her. Just before he lunged at her, Rum could swear she saw a bit of an uneasy, intimidated look on Toushirou's face. She let out a confident chuckle, seeing right through his sloppy attack; he must have been more intimidated by her pokerface than she thought. As Toushirou entirely forgot the brilliant tactic he had in mind, he simply jumped and aimed the sharp end of his blade for her only good shoulder, but, as expected, within less than half a second, Rum was no longer standing there. Instantly Toushirou snapped to his left, seeing as that's where opponents most often seem to go when dodging an attack, but Rum wasn't there. He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion and spun around swiftly to look at the space behind him; nothing.

"Yukirum Akamaru!" Toushirou screamed, his voice strewn with heavy shame and disgust, "Hiding from your opponent is _not _a battle technique, you coward!" He searched for her spiritual pressure. Nothing. "Reveal yourself, you shameful little—"

His words were cut short as he turned to meet a powerful force with the blunt end of his blade, letting out a triumphant snort, "You thought you could attack me from behind, huh? Well you were—"

Once again, Histugaya's words were cut short, but this time from the realization that the force currently pressing against his sword had just toppled to the ground, creating a cloud of dust around it; it was a rock. Before he was allowed the time to think, let alone move, Rum's feet were slamming into the side of Toushirou's head, causing him to go rolling across the hot sand. Quivering, the Captain lifted a hand to brush his fingertips over a cut, leaking blood onto his surprised face. The blood rolled down his cheek and dripped onto the dusty ground as Hitsugaya whispered, "You injured me. You delivered a blow so easily… you…"

Rum's shoulder stung intensely; when lifting that rock to thrown as a distraction, some of the dust and pebbles had rolled off the boulder and settled in her wound, burning the insides with the dirt and grime on them. The pain began to spread to her arm, too, so by then she had a constant tingling feeling in her right arm; it was going numb.

_I can't continue like this, with my arm… I have to hurry… But… _Her thoughts were interrupted as she looked up from the ground to see Histugaya's blade just in front of her, slamming down against her chest with immense force. She felt the blade break right through at least two of her ribs, and immediately screamed out in pain, shrieking once more as her knees gave out beneath her, causing her frail body to topple to the ground. Her instincts kicked in soon after, and Rum twitched once or twice before pushing up into a crawling position, and knew that at this point only one thing would save her. She smiled as broad as ever, and moved her gaze to meet Toushirou's, instantly causing him to freeze. His eyes widened at the resemblance; Rum was on her knees, bloody and defeated, but she was _smiling_. He knew it was a trick, and he knew it was a back up plan, but her expression was so _real_. She was looking at his blade, looking at the blade that was going to take her life, and she was grinning at it as if she'd won. Toushirou tightened his grip on his sword, wanting to move it to her neck so badly; he wanted to kill her because of her face. The face of a traitor.

"Kuhuhuhu…" Rum breathed a sinister laugh, and before Toushirou could even avert his gaze from her mischievous lips, he could no longer breathe. Rum drove her sword deeper into his stomach with a harsh thrust of her arm, the one that had already gone numb, and allowed the rush of murder to wash over her body, cleansing her conscience. Yukirum mercilessly turned the sword inside his body, smiling wider before hearing a quiet, enchanting laugh in her head. She flinched back with a cry, yanking her zanpaktou out of Toushirou's limp body and allowing it to fall to the dirt, just as she had moments ago. Rum clenched her head and stared at the Captain before her in disbelief. His white hair was stained with his own blood as it pooled beneath his lifeless body, and from the position Rum was in, which happened to be pressed back against a rock, facing his back, she couldn't see one sign of movement at all. Rum let out a horrified cry as she detected the rip in his clothing where her sword had gone through. The mortified Shinigami let out a sharp sob, fearing the worst.

Had she just killed Toushirou Histugaya?


End file.
